Abstract:
In summer 2006, the Commission consulted the different technology platformsexternal to get their views on the concept of lead markets, as the platforms gather all stakeholders on various specific fields (nanotech, hydrogen, pharmaceuticals, food etc.) and can in this way help identify possible areas for lead markets.

The debate saw business pointing to concrete management issues linked to creation of lead markets and highlighting the importance of standardisation for the creation of lead markets. "Business needs regulation, not in the sense of for more laws but what comes to standardisation. If we get the standards right for example on nanotechnology, we can create a really big market in Europe," argued Rüdiger Iden from German chemical giant BASF. "Thanks to our common GSM standard, we now have a lead market on GSM in Europe," added Jozef Cornu, Chairman of a EUREKA cluster, MEDEA+.